Undertaker&#39;s lifting-strap.



J. P. HUBER. UNDERTAKERS LIPTING STRAP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, 1909. 941,072;

Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

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JOHN P. HUBER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

UNDERTAKERS LIFTING-STRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 6, 1909.

Patented Nov. 23, 1909. Serial No. 506,062.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN P. HUBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Under-takers LiftingStraps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in undertakers lifting straps for coffins, trunks, and the like; and it consists in the novel details of construction more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a coflin showing my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the lifting strap with parts broken; Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a cross section in line ll of Fig. 5; and Fig. 5 is a rear view of a portion of the main plate showing the slit formed therein and the tongue out from the metal bent back against the plate.

The object of my invention is to provide a strap which can be attached to one end of a coffin (or box of any description) and permit the coffin to be carried and maintained in a perfectly horizontal position, especially when being transported up or down a stain way or incline, when as a rule the coffin is seized by a person at each end. The coflin if held in an inclined position not only interferes with the movement of the limbs of the person who occupies the higher level, but is a great strain on the person occupying the lower level. With my invention however, no inconvenience whatever is suffered by either party, an advantage clearly obvious from a detailed description of the invention which is as follows:

Referring to the drawings, C, represents a coffin, being shown transported over a stair-way (Fig. 1).

The lifting device comprises a lower terminal leather-covered plate 1 bent at the base into a concave saddle or socket 2 which is adapted to be passed over the handle it on the coffin, the upper extension of the plate being provided with downwardly and outwardly inclined slits 3 punched from the body of the plate, the tongue of metal at excised as a result of the punching operation being bent rearwardly from the base of the slit against the body of the plate, and thus form a rounded support for the lower terminal looped ends of the straps 8,8. The upper ends of the straps are passed through a buckle 5 secured to a handle bar or pole (3, by which buckle the straps may be adjusted to any desired length as obvious from the drawings. The straps S diverge outwardly from the plate 1 toward the handle bar 6, the inclination of the bases of the slits 3 and tongues i being at right angles to the line of draft passing through the straps. The bottom of the saddle 2 is preferably lined with a layer of felt a or equivalent material interposed between the plate and the leather covering, to form a soft and yielding support for the handle it. The saddle or socket 2 being inserted around the handle h, the device is ready to be brought into service. It will be seen from the illustration that the coflin may thus be maintained in a perfectly horizontal position while being carried on a grade. It forms an admirable undertakers lifting strap for coflins, though its use need not be restricted specifically thereto.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. An undertakers lifting strap comprising a plate provided with an open socket or saddle, a handle bar, a pair of straps diverging from and connecting the plate to the bar, and formations on the plate for maintaining the straps, in conjunction with the bar, in said diverging position.

2. An undertakers lifting strap comprising a plate provided with an open socket or saddle, the plate being provided with a pair of downwardly and outwardly inclined slits, tongues bent from the bases of the slits against the body of the plate, straps looped through the slits and disposed at right angles to the bases of the slits, and a handle-bar coupled to the upper ends of the straps.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN P. HUBER.

Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK, Jos. A. MICHEL. 

